stevowarrior

Now the Challenge Cup is out of the way could we have more details about the proposed new format whereby 2 leagues of 12 split to 3 leagues of 8. In principle this is by far the most exiting and fair way of determining the starting 12 club line up for the following Super League season. Straight forward promotion and relegation would only drive the game backwards and continually push clubs to the verge of financial ruin. What on earth is the point of replacing a relegated team with one that is not as good as the team it is replacing. What is the point of moving relegated players to the newly promoted club (that's what used to happen). It the bottom 4 Super League Clubs go up against the top 4 Championship clubs to determine the best four for the following season the game can only grow from it. All that worries me is the technicalities of how it all will work. Playing 23 rounds is basically playing each other home and away plus the "Magic" Weekend. Whilst I have no problem with the Magic weekend as a stand alone event I do have a problem with the fact that the results count as a round in Super League and therefore tip the balance of what would otherwise be a fair and even competition. It is what comes after the clubs split into three leagues of 8 that intrigues me. If the clubs only play each other once that would deliver a further seven games or an overall 30 round competition. EVERYBODY already agrees the existing 27 round qualifying completion is too long. If on the other hand each group of 8 start a play off system based on the existing system then fair enough bring it on. It would shorten the over congested season by weeks. I have always maintained a club should only be promoted on merit, not only by beating its peers but also by showing it is capable of beating the team it seeks to replace. If you do not adopt such a philosophy you only drive the game backwards and constantly dilute the end product.